Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pardon

/ˈpɑɹdn̩/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.82 in modern English

Syllables
par-don
IPA
/ˈpɑɹdn̩/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Forgiveness for an offence.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An order that releases a convicted criminal without further punishment, prevents future punishment, or (in some jurisdictions) removes an offence from a person's criminal record, as if it had never been committed.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To forgive (a person).

Transitive verb

verb

To refrain from exacting as a penalty.

Transitive verb

verb

To grant an official pardon for a crime.

Transitive verb

intj

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈpɑɹdn̩/
  • British English: /ˈpɑːdn̩/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce pardon?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɑɹdn̩/.
What does pardon mean?
Forgiveness for an offence.
Where does pardon come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce pardon

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pardon”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɑɹdn̩/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pardon”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pardon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.